WASHINGTON (AP) – Pressure continues to build but no
breakthroughs are in sight as budget bargaining between President
Barack Obama and top lawmakers resumes Monday at the White House.
Both sides hope to slash the deficit as the price for permitting
the government to borrow more than $2 trillion to pay its bills.
Obama continues to push for a “grand bargain” in the range of
$4 trillion worth of deficit cuts over the coming decade, but
momentum is clearly on the side of a smaller measure of perhaps
half that size. Obama continues to press for revenue increases as
part of any agreement, but Republicans remain stoutly opposed.
Obama holds a news conference Monday morning. The third White
House meeting since Thursday is slated for the afternoon.